The world of Prysmora stretched across Supersized Prysm Slabs—vast continent-plates ruled by Regional Lords, beneath whom colony overseers controlled dozens of colonies, each one managing a tight web of villages. Thirty-two thousand souls per colony, on average. It was the way things had always been, or so people remembered.
Above, the twin prymoons Arcuson and Escur hung like pale guardians, while Quatar, the bluish-white star, washed the deep violet sky and the plant life beneath in ghostly luminance. Past researchers insisted Quatar was simply a star like the "minor lights" scattered across the heavens. Plants only appeared purple, they said—reflecting the most abundant wavelengths in this strange spectrum.
Under a purple-crowned tree on violet grass, Ms. Amelia—a 5'9 woman with silky blue hair, aqua eyes, and an athletic build—lectured a group of thirty nine-year-olds. A cool breeze drifted upward from the earth itself, gently lifting strands of her hair.
The children were all different in build and appearance, except for the glowing blue marks beneath their eyes. Those marks shimmered whenever shadows touched them—an ordinary thing here, but unusual enough to unsettle an outsider.
Among them sat Romaine Usetas, crystalline silver hair catching Quatar's light, azure eyes far too sharp and thoughtful for a child his age. His commoner's clothes were frayed like most orphans', but he carried himself differently—quietly, watchfully.
"Nine whole years since I was born here on Atem 6th, 1404," he muttered under his breath.
"No magic, no fantasy… just different names for everything. Even these 'slabs'—basically tectonic plates," he whispered again, staring at the grass.
Yet something never sat right with him. Every year, something absurd happened—something impossible. And every year, everyone simply… forgot.
"Romaine Usetas, you're ignoring my lecture."Amelia's stern voice cut into his thoughts.
Unfazed, he replied, "I was listening, Ms. Amelia."
"Oh? Then tell us the name of the Regional Lord of our Western Slab—the Wild Frontier?"
Romaine stared, irritated. This woman is incredibly annoying. She interrupts my thinking every single day.
Amelia smirked. "Struggling to find the answer in that little head of yours?"
A red-haired girl defended him, "Miss Amelia, that's unfair—we didn't learn that."
The teacher opened her mouth, but Romaine beat her to it.
"Vara Kel-Talon. The Wild One."
Amelia blinked. She had never taught them this. But she composed herself quickly.
"Well done, Romaine. But please—pay attention."
He nodded, then drifted right back into thought.There's no way this world is normal. It can't be. Something's wrong here.
A realization clicked.Tonight, I'm going into the forest.
Later that night…
Romaine walked through a dim medieval alley, carrying a small travel bag: rope, hooks, rations, a compass.
"A normal kid would be home… but then again, I'm an orphan thrown out at two. At least I remember the faces that tossed me aside," he muttered, fists tightening.
He passed beggars and thieves—many of whom recognized him. The Monster, they whispered. A child who fought grown criminals and won.
He reached the village wall—seven meters tall, thick, and old.
"A nine-year-old would give up here. But I'm 2.4 times stronger than the average adult—upper body 100 kg, lower body 200 kg, grip strength around 40…" he counted quietly as he tied his hook, swung, and sent it hurling upward.
It caught the top rail.He climbed fast—twelve seconds before the patrol passed.
He straddled the narrow three-inch wall top as a voice called from below:"Hey! Who's up there?!"
Romaine glanced down at a patch of bushes."Fuck it. Here goes nothing."
He dropped. Leaves and branches softened his landing, though his elbow throbbed in pain.
He retrieved the hook, packed the rope, and vanished into the forest.
The Encounter
He walked, marking trees with chalk, until he heard metallic echoes—clashing. Curious, he crept toward the sound, crouched behind a bush, and peeked.
Light flickered violently.
"Whoa…"
Two black-cloaked figures, masked and silent, fought a crimson-haired man with silver eyes. In the man's hands burned a silver energy blade, clashing with the cloaked figures' white energy daggers.
The man flipped, slashed mid-air, cutting one attacker's shoulder. He landed, stomped, and burst forward inside a shimmering field of silver energy.
But the uninjured cloaked figure evaded, manifesting full white energy armor, and punched—shattering the man's field. He tumbled back.
The injured figure leapt and struck. A white blade flashed.The man's hands severed, falling with sickening thuds.
His smirk vanished."Please—don't kill me! I—I beg you!"
The uninjured cloaked figure approached, voice feminine and cold.
"By order of the Silent Authority Council… you, Eskar White, are pronounced voided."
One clean swing.His head fell.
In the bushes, Romaine froze—breath shallow, stomach flipping. His first time witnessing death. A brutal, clinical execution.
The cloaked woman turned."You grew overconfident," she told her partner. "Your training isn't finished."
The injured one bowed his head, retrieved a small device, and placed it on the corpse.
A flash of intense light.The body vanished.
Romaine trembled. What is this? What world am I in…?
"Scan the area," the woman ordered. "We can't have stragglers."
That was Romaine's cue.
He withdrew carefully, silently, marking trees. No panic. No broken branches.
After putting distance between himself and the killers, he exhaled—
—but the air rippled.
The ground cracked, glowing rainbow-light from within.
A growl.
A grotesque hand emerged. Then a creature—white eyes, void-like mouth, elongated limbs, something between humanoid and cosmic horror.
Romaine ran. Hard.
"What the fuck is that?!"
It vanished—then reappeared, sweeping his legs. Romaine tumbled, bruised, scraped raw. He flipped backward onto his feet.
A soft tick echoed.
He turned.The creature crouched on a branch, staring. Then it dropped, moving slowly, almost savoring the approach, as multicolored energy flooded a 20-meter radius.
"What is that energy? What is this thing?" he thought, pulling out an iron dagger.
He lunged.
The dagger warped like clay.
The creature swiped.Romaine slammed into a tree, bones cracking. He collapsed, paralyzed.
It approached, ready to finish him.
Romaine glared back—terrified but defiant.
The arm swung—
—and his body erupted with multicolored light.
The creature vaporized instantly.
Romaine gasped as sensation slowly returned to his limbs. His muscles twitched, then obeyed.
The light faded.
He stared at his hands.
A shocked grin spread across his face.
"I have powers."